Small successes

The Afgan military and police forces, working with NATO forces, had a lot of activity last week. While none of these events is really big, it’s the series of small discoveries that show that the local people are providing this information. As these small caches are discovered and the Afgan citizens who reported them are protected, then the government gains credibility and effectiveness. This is how you eat an elephant, one bite at a time.br /–They arrested a suspected bomb maker after discovering an explosives cache in Helmand prov. The cache consisted of more than 100 lbs of explosives, 220 lbs of ammonium nitrate, an 8 2mm mortar fuse, 3 ammo-filled vests, and various explosive components such as anti-tamper switches. The bomb maker was found with blasting caps on his person.br /– They searched a vehicle in Helmand Prov., after intel reports indicated militant activity. A search of the vehicle indicated a Taliban cmdr was possibly in a nearby village, which the combined force searched with the assistance of local elders. Several men were detained forbr /further questioning.br /– A patrol discovered a weapons cache consisting of 22 mortar rounds in Khost prov. Thebr /ordnance was destroyed on site.br /– In Helmand province, a patrol discovered 15 bags of marijuana totaling more than 200 pounds. A separate patrol discovered a weapons cache, while searching an insurgent bunker. The cache consisted of 3 107 mm rockets, 5 RPGs, 2 anti-personnel charges, an artillery fuse and a hand grenade.br /– They defused 4 mines and discovered 110 lbs of explosive materials in Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Kunduz provs.br /– In Herat prov. they discovered a machine gun, 3 mines, 3 hand grenades, 5 rocketbr /rounds and 1,150 rounds of rifle ammo.br /– A patrol discovered an explosives cache in Kandahar prov. The cache contained nearly 90 lbs of ammonium nitrate, 8 155 mm shell casings, 2 radios, a dismantled radio, a circuit board and a large spool of wire.